For parents needing child care help, Family Support Center gives them a safe place to turn

Recently, two young mothers left toddlers at home while they went to work. They now face felony charges. While affordable child care is a struggle for all working parents, help is available through community and state resources.

For more information, visit:

Family Support Center: www.familysupportcenter.org/

Sugar House: 2020 S. Lake Street (740 East) (801) 487-7778

West Valley City: 3663 S. 3600 West (801) 967-4259

Midvale: 777 W. Center Street (7720 South) (801) 255-6881

Department of Workforce Services' Office of Child Care: utah.gov/occ/

Child care information and referrals: careaboutchildcare.utah.gov/

While the traditional child care center buzzes with children's voices and activity of 23 children, the crisis nursery is the picture of calm.

Parents who bring children to the crisis nursery need to call in advance and are expected to fill out paperwork and present photo ID.

Sometimes parents need someone to watch their children for a few hours while they go to a job interview or a doctor's appointment. Sometimes they need full-time child care because their babysitter is ill or has quit without notice. Some parents are working through personal problems and need a few hours to pull themselves together.

The Family Support Center's crisis nursery in West Valley City provides round-the-clock coverage. The Midvale center is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the Sugar House location is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The crisis nurseries can provide up to seven days of child care but it is not intended as a long-term solution. Peters said Family Support Center employees can help parents arrange care at one of its child care centers or other licensed providers.

As a mother herself, McGray said she understand the importance of providing a service to parents who are overwhelmed or need a few hours help to allow them to go to a job interview or medical appointment.

While workers at the crisis nursery never know the full impact of the care they provide, some parents come back later once their lives has stabilized and their children are thriving simply to say thank you, she said.

"I had one little boy tell me 'I remember you. You were the one who played cars with me,' " McGray said.

"He remembered. Does it get any better than that?" she said.

Help is available

Lynette Rasmussen of the Utah Department of Workforce Services, said the state Office of Child Care can help parents find child care providers near their homes or places of work and help low-income working parents or those undergoing job training to apply for stipends that help offset the cost of care.

“There is help available if a mother knows about it,” Rasmussen said.

Depending on household incomes, the stipends pay 60-75 percent of the market rate for child care services. Any low-income working parent who is authorized to work in the United State is eligible to apply for the child care assistance funds.

Rasmussen said news reports about parents leaving children unattended are "heart breaking."

"What would drive a mother to leave their child unattended?" she said.

Acree said some parents don't know about community resources. Some parents don't reach out to others because of substance abuse or mental illness. If a child has been abused or neglected, parents may not want their children in settings in which teachers or caregivers are required by law to report allegations to police.

Still others simply have burned out other family members once willing to help. "That's what I see more of. There will be a family that has utilized their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters to the point they're just sick of it and there's bad blood," Acree said.

Even then, Rasmussen said, a little creative problem solving can go a long way to ensure children are safe. Some people in neighborhoods and church communities are happy to lend a hand. Some parents arrange to care for one another's children while one parent works or runs errands.

Adela Brasso, who runs the Kid Start Day Care at the Family Support Center's Midvale location, said she knows what it's like to be a single parent who needs safe, quality child care.

"I really think we have to support people when they need it. This is a nice place and a safe place," she said.

Peters said the future of society depends on people to care and nurture children.

"It's always good if children can be with their own parents. The reality with life is, that doesn't happen all that much any more."

In those cases, children and working parents — need child care that is safe, reliable and encourages the emotional, physical and cognitive wellbeing of children.